Intercolonial

New Zealand Tablet, 18 December 1913, Page 47

Intercolonial

r\c ca ~i—; i „4- a*. VI UIXV V/*± Ut/i ILai OUUUVJUI/O CUU UU. VUIUUIUa O JJi V; AV> siastical College, Springwood, 35 are Christian Brothers’ old boys. Ten are old boys of the Marist Brothers’ schools. The teaching Orders are represented in about the same proportion at St. Patrick’s College, Manly.

•' In the Victorian Full Court the other day, Messrs. Desmond McMahon Gavan Duffy, and Frank Brenden Duffy, sons of Mr. Justice Duffy, of the High Court, were admitted to practise as barristers and solicitors of the Supreme Court of Victoria. Their admission was moved for by Mr. C. G. Duffy, their brother.

In the churches of Melbourne on Sunday, November 30, a circular from his Grace the Archbishop was read, urging priests and people to encourage and support the Australian Catholic Truth • Society. His Grace pointed out the many dangers arising from the dissemination of bad literature, and expressed the hope that the work of the Australian Catholic Truth Society would be extended and generously supported. *

Mr. William Redmond, member for Clare in the House of Commons, accompanied by his wife, was a passenger in the German mail steamer which arrived at Melbourne on November 8. Mr. Redmond is making the trip for health reasons, and most of his stay in Australia will be spent in New South Wales. In the course of an interview, Mr. Redmond said it was now tolerably certain that Home Rule would be granted, and he fully anticipated that it would come into force by June of next year. He did not think that there was any chance of Ulster being excluded from the Bill. ‘ You see,’ he explained, ‘ the majority of the people of Ulster are in favor of Home Rule, as well as the majority of Ulster representatives in the House of Commons. If Ulster were granted a separate Parliament to-morrow it would be a Nationalist Parliament.

I think that I am in a position to speak on these matters, as I represented a constituency in Ulster for seven years. There is a strong and growing movement for Home Rule amongst the Protestants of Ulster. This movement is being led by Captain White, son of Sir George White, the defender of Ladysmith.

lii the course of an address at the opening of a garden fete at Essendon recently his Grace Archbishop Mannix said that he held in his hand the annual report of the Inspector of the Primary Schools of the archdiocese of Melbourne. There were some facts given in that report that he might appropriately mention, and he hoped that they would be treasured in the memory of those listening to him. What had been the cost of the upkeep of the Catholic schools in the archdiocese of Melbourne for the year ending • September 30, 1913 The inspector's report set out the expenditure for that period, and it should be noted that the report took no account of interest on money borrowed or expended in previous years. It dealt merely with money spent within the year, on new school buildings, on repairs or extensions of, old schools, and in the maintenance of the schools. The expenditure on new buildings was £14,745; on additions and repairs,, £2000; on the upkeep of the 110 primary schools of the diocese, £36,110. The total for the schools of the archdiocese, therefore, was £52,891, or nearly £53,000 for the year! Well, Catholics had to-find that £53,000, and they would continue to find it so long as it was necessary. The report of the Inspector of Schools showed that in 191011 there were in Catholic schools 27,058 scholars, and 479 teachers ; 1911-12, 29,137 scholars, and 500 teachers; and in 1912-13, 30,540 scholars, and 550 teachers. They would see that, despite formidable competition,, they were holding their own, and he hoped the rate of increase would continue. That was a fact worth recording. But, if Catholics spent money freely on their schools, it was a satisfaction to know that the schools were up to date, fully equipped, arid staffed with fully competent teachers. ? ; . .. -